Australian Jamie Siddons has signed a two-year deal as the new coach of the Bangladesh national team.

"One of my goals is to make the team's performance consistent and push the players to improve every day," he said.

Siddons's first series in charge will be in December when Bangladesh visit New Zealand to play two Tests and three one-day internationals.

He replaces compatriot Dav Whatmore, who stepped down following the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year.

The way was cleared for 43-year-old Siddons when rival candidate John Dyson, another Australian, recently accepted the job of West Indies coach.

Siddons, most recently Australia's assistant coach, will formally take up his role on 19 November.

"Bangladesh may be a small team. But it's an international team and there is a thrill in coaching such a team," he said.

A versatile sportsman who also played Australian Rules football, he made more than 11,000 runs for Victoria and South Australia during his playing career but his only international recognition came in a one-day game against Pakistan in 1988.

Siddons has the task of building on the progress the young Bangladesh team showed at the World Cup, where they achieved surprise wins over India and South Africa.

They also reached the Super 8s at the recent ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa after defeating West Indies, but that was their only win of the tournament.

"Just looking at the score sheets I saw that we have got some very good players. But they are very inconsistent and that is thing that I have to address," Siddons commented.

Following the New Year tour to New Zealand, the next assignment for Bangladesh is a home series against South Africa.